Capital Drops Fox As Bacon Takes Drive Time

Capital FM has dropped long-serving DJ Neil Fox from its schedules in favour of former Blue Peter presenter Richard Bacon, selected to front the station’s daily Drive Time show starting in the spring.

Capital claims that Bacon was the “number one choice” to replace ‘Foxy’ in one of the most keenly sought jobs in radio as a result of his “experience and success as a broadcaster.”

Bacon, who was famously axed from his first TV presenting job with the BBC’s long-running children’s show after taking cocaine, will make the move to Capital FM after notching up numerous successes presenting shows on other Capital-owned stations such as Xfm.

Looking forward to the move, Bacon said: “This is a great opportunity to do one of the main shows on a massive station. I can’t wait to get stuck in and make the show my own and of course to be reunited with Johnny Vaughan who was a bit of a mentor to me on the Big Breakfast.”

Outgoing host Neil Fox added: “I’ve loved doing the Drive Time show for the last eight years; it’s the best time of day to be on the radio. I have and always will be a radio man through and through but I’ve got a lot of ITV shows coming up and I’ve learnt you just can’t do it all. I’m chuffed for Richard, he’s great broadcaster.”

Keith Pringle, managing director for 95.8 Capital FM explained that the move to replace Neil Fox had been in the pipeline for some time. He said: “Foxy and I have been in discussions for a while about his increasing TV commitments it was clear he couldn’t keep up his daily show on Capital. I’m very excited about Richard joining Capital FM, he’s a sparkling talent who’s as smart as he is funny. With Johnny Vaughan’s brilliant new breakfast show sending London to work and Richard bringing them back home we’ve got the Capital superbly covered.”

Capital is set to complete its merger with GWR later this year, following confirmation that the Office of Fair Trading would not be referring the two companies’ consolidation to the Competition Commission (see Capital GWR Merger Escapes Competition Inquiry).

Speculation suggests that the high-profile merger could be completed as early as May, creating the nation’s largest commercial radio operator, worth around £711 million and controlling 40% of radio advertising.

Capital Radio: 020 7766 6000 www.capitalradiogroup.com

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